Cover Image: Part of My World

Part of My World

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Jodie Benson’s autobiography is a true winner from her early days to where she is today is an uplifting life story that shows that even through the darkness, we can always find the light.

Jodi Benson’s life is just short of being wonderous from her days on Broadway with the short-lived musical Smile to her voice for Disney and Pixar through to her triumphant return to the Broadway show Crazy For You. Little does anyone know about the questions of faith, difficult times and the road she was on as she was going up the career latter as per personal life was not as straight forward. Benson gives an honest and thought-provoking look at her life and once she has become cemented in her faith, the rest of life challenges turn into optimistic and faith inspiring hobbles that she was able to overcome.

Benson is a true credit to her faith and career, and it was an absolute gem of a human being that whilst you cheer her on during her dark times and want to applaud her for the good times. Jodi Benson’s autobiography gives hope and awe inspiring testament that even in the bad times, if you hold on, the right path will guide your through.

This is an absolute must read.

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Summary:
Jodi invites gives you a glimpse into her life before, during and after the movie that made her famous. She shares the good times, the stressful times, the times her heart was completely broken and the faith that gave her the strength to navigate it all.

Who hasn't seen the Disney smash hit, The Little Mermaid? Like most of the world, this is the movie that not only gave us songs to sing, but also introduced us to the talented woman behind the voice, Jodi Benson. But, that's all we knew her as- the voice of a mermaid millions of little kids were fascinated with. So, in reading her story, I got to learn more of who she is.

Leading up to her famous role, she had navigated her parents divorce and her school years. And while, they helped shape the woman she became, I was more gripped with her story once Disney stepped in. It was fascinating to learn she struggled with her mega hit "Part of Your World". It was interesting to see how they were finally able to get the Broadway style out of her voice so Ariel could come through. I loved reading about the people she was blessed with who guided her every step of the way.

Mostly, in the second half of the book, I felt glued. It's here when she opens up about how her faith was tested through several devastating losses and uprooting lows. This life she had built no longer looked the way she expected it to and she had no choice but to walk through the dark times.

While this book isn't an in depth look into her life, you definitely get to know the woman behind the iconic voice. You will smile, laugh and tear up as you turn the pages. You'll learn that working with Disney can be the golden touch in your life, but it doesn't save you from heartache and struggles. Marriages still have the ability to fall apart, loved ones still pass on, celebratory times can still quickly turn into mourning times. And that's when, and why, you have God. Relying on His strength helps you put on foot in front of the other when you want to do anything but that.

I enjoyed reading her Jodi's story. I thank her for sharing the highs and lows with us. She has blessed us all with not just Ariel's story- and hers.

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Part of My World is an emotional and vulnerable memoir. Jodi Benson's writing is melodic and expressive. Such a fantastic read!

My love for Disney and Disney princesses started when I was about five years old. I saw 'The Little Mermaid' and just fell in love with Ariel and the characters. Now, that I am an adult, I believe my passion for Disney and the story of Ariel has grown. I can still watch the movie over and over again to this day and one of the main reasons is the voice of Jodi Benson. There is something so pure, genuine, and inviting about her voice so I was more than excited to read her book.

As I started reading Part of My World, I saw the beautiful human being behind such an iconic character. Jodi is so kind and gracious in everything she does. I loved when she talked about her faith. She attributes her success to God and remains constant in her faith through the bad times too. She is really inspiring in so many ways but for her to truly put her life in God's hands helped me strengthen my faith.

The chapters are so well put together and flow really well. Readers will get to read about her life from the start and see how she got to be a Disney Legend. Her journey wasn't easy but she kept at it. Her tenacity and passion for music and theatre are beautiful and inspirational. And one of the best parts about it as a reader was seeing how many friendships she built along the way. Nowadays, you always see co-workers fighting for spots or promotions and Jodi was not like that. Instead, she took every win and loss as a stepping stone in God's plan.

Fans of Disney and Jodi's will love the behind-the-scenes look at her time as Ariel. You know when you are a fan of someone, people always warn you about meeting them because they might leave you disappointed. I know this wouldn't be true if I ever had the pleasure of meeting her. That's because you can tell she loves and appreciates every single fan. In one instance, she describes declining a picture with a fan for the first time and dealing with a personal matter. Once things calmed down, she found the fan and took that picture. Her words make it crystal clear. Everything always comes back to God. And I know God put her on this earth to inspire and spread kindness.

I give Part of My World 5 stars. It's an admirable and moving memoir about faith, family, and love. It warmed my heart with every page. Jodi Benson's charm, compassion, and gentle nature put a smile on my face because I know she is this way because of God and her faith. Her belief truly helped me look at mine and remember why I love God so much. It's people like Jodi who remind us to be loving, kind, and gracious in the high and the lows.

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Ariel may not be my favorite Disney princess, but Jodi Benson is certainly one of my favorite Disney actresses.

I've been following Jodi on Instagram for a while, and I love her honesty and her hopefulness. She's always encouraging others, sharing heartwarming stories, or talking about finding joy in the simple things. She's a ray of sunshine come to life, and when I heard that she was writing a book, I knew I had to get my hands on it.

Part of My World is Jodi's story, from her early years as a theatre actress in NYC to her current work. As a former thespian myself, I loved reading about her experiences on Broadway. Jodi shares the reality of acting--the good and the bad--but she does so with an optimism that makes you smile. It's amazing to see how one experience led to another opportunity and another and another until she ended up being chosen to voice Ariel. While it may seem like luck, Jodi's opportunities were certainly the result of not only her amazing talent and hard work but her kindness and her ability to connect and care for others. Being kind can open so many doors, and Jodi shows this as she walks readers through her life.

That's not to say that everything was always sunshine and roses. Jodi shares the hard parts of her life, too--the failed auditions, the difficulties between her boyfriend-then-husband, Ray, and her miscarriages. But once again, Jodi shares those moments not with a 'woe is me' attitude but with 20-20 vision of how those experiences changed her for the better. So much of her resilience is attributed to her faith, and I love that Jodi is so open about her relationship with God, both in this book and in her everyday life. Like Jodi, I often struggle with knowing why bad or difficult things are happening, and I hope that I eventually can look back and, like Jodi, see why God allowed those things to occur.

All in all, Jodi's story is an amazing one. Not only is her memoir full of the expected theatre drama and Disney dreams, it's also full of faith, inspiration, and hope. Part of My World is just like Jodi herself--a bright light in an often dark world, and I really have been blessed through her book and allowing her to be part of my world for a little while.

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Part Of My World: What I’ve Learned From The Little Mermaid about Love, Faith, and Finding My Voice
Today I finished reading “Part Of My World: What I’ve Learned from The Little Mermaid about Love Faith, and Finding My Voice,” through Netgalley. Not only is this book for Disney fans its also part memoir part Christian Inspirational. Jodi talks about the highs and lows of her life and that no matter what life threw at her, she still kept her faith in God and credits him for her career. I even found out some facts I didn’t know about Jodi.

Pros
I found out some amazing facts about Jodi. One was she never thought she could or would do voice acting but God had other plans after the Broadway show Smile didn’t do so well. I also thought the story of how her and her now husband Ray Benson met was sweet. It was also interesting that Jodi auditioned to voice Belle in Beauty and the Beast but her best friend Paige O Hara had gotten the part as we know now. I also had no idea they almost didn’t use the iconic song Part Of Your World in Little Mermaid because in the test screening didn’t keep every child’s attention. Part Of Your World is an “I Want” song where the main character longs for something and you want to see that character get it. Reading this book you can tell Jodi Benson is very humble she credits God and the people who helped her become who she is. Many in Hollywood get big egos forgetting who helped get them where they are in the first place. I also wanted to hug her at certain points when she was suffering with the loss of Howard Ashman, her niece and miscarriages. Despite all of Jodi’s suffering she kept her faith in God even when she didn’t understand why things happened the way they did.

Cons
There wasn’t much that I disliked. I did feel some parts seemed repetitive here and there but I cut her slack since she is not an author. Also depending on which denomination of Christianity you belong to, Jodi says something many especially Catholics like me would disagree with her on. I won’t go into detail because there is already too much debate and no longer the “agree to disagree” attitude when it comes to religion, politics or even the most mundane of topics.

Overall
Overall it’s a wonderful memoir. I wasn’t expecting it to be Christian inspiration mixed with Disney and a memoir. It’s different because it seems faith in God isn’t as important as it was decades ago. Christian books fiction or non-fiction can either be good or it could be cringe worthy. Thank goodness it falls in to the good category. Thank you Netgalley for an early copy of this book I truly appreciate it. If you are curious about this book, request a copy from Netgalley or pre-order it so it will arrive the day it comes out on September 13th.

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Jodi Benson!!! I absolutely love her and when I was given this opportunity to read her book man, I took it! She is a godly woman and her faith guides her which is very unique in this day and age. I absolutely loved this book! If you love the Little Mermaid you will absolutely love this book!!

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I was excited when I learned that Jodi Benson had written a book because as a child the movie, The Little Mermaid was my favorite movie. It still is to tell you the truth. I love following Jodi on Instagram as well and seeing her so polite and kind to her fans made me want to read her book a little more. This book has allowed me to learn more about her struggles as a person and how she found her life on the big stage called "Broadway". We all have had to learn lessons about life struggles and this book shows that even celebrities have the same struggles we have. If you loved Jodi Benson from growing up, this book is the one for you!

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I had the pleasure of seeing Jodi Benson on stage as the original Polly in "Crazy For You". Also, I saw her and her husband Ray numerous times in the European touring production of "My One and Only".
So I was looking forward to this book, unfortunately she did not cover C4U in detail and only mentioned MOAO in passing.
Fans of "The Little Mermaid" will be in heaven though as she deals extensively with how she got the role, her experience in the recording studio and her life afterwards.
She stated her reasons - her family - why she basically stopped doing stage work very early, something that has always puzzled me.
The book was a quick read but one word of warning:: Jodi is a devout Christian. If you can`t deal with her mentioning God on almost every page and quoting the bible repeatedly, this book is not for you. God comes first for her, the family second and then her work and that´s how the book read.
Thanks for Netgalley for proving me with an advance copy of this book.

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Thank you to Tyndale House Publishers and to NetGalley for an ARC of this book to review.

I have been a Jodi Benson fan since hearing her voice in The Little Mermaid. I was really excited when I saw that she had a book coming out, and I requested it in hopes that I would be able to get a copy to review.

I really enjoyed this book. Jodi puts it all out there: Her faith, family, struggles, working with Disney and her Broadway career. She really is quite a incredible woman, who has had a long career. She talks about her relationship with her husband, Ray, and the struggles that they have had also. She tells us about her Faith which is really important to her.

This is a nice little read. I will definitely read it again, and maybe purchase the audiobook. I recommend this for fans of The Little Mermaid, Disney, Broadway, or someone looking for a book about Faith to uplift them.

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I was familiar with Jodi Benson from the time Little Mermaid came out, so was interested in reading this book. As a fellow Christian almost the same age as Jodi, and also a singer and performer, it was delightful to read about her life. Her early career was "the road not taken" for me, so it was so enlightening to read about her experiences. If you enjoy memoirs, especially if you are a musical or Disney lover, you will enjoy this book. I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

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I was drawn to this book due to being a lifetime lover of The Little Mermaid. It has some great stories and info about Jodi. However, I didn't know it was going to be so preachy, kind of like one of those self-help books. I could also do without all the unnecessary details about how music works and such. Overall, its a good book.

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I don't know that writing this review with tears in my eyes is the best idea but let's give it a go!

Jodi Benson has been a part of my life, and my childhood, for a very long time. From watching/singing along to the Little Mermaid with my mom when it was just the 2 of us (4 siblings later followed me) to my mom checking out VHS's of Guidepost Junction from our church library. I remember my sisters and I BELTING out the "Send a note to Wally, he's always got some good advice!" and my mom casually saying "Sister, that's Ariel". My 7 year old mind couldn't compute that information haha. I knew I had to read this book the minute I found it on Goodreads and gasped out loud when I got approved for an ARC.

I was in tears after Paige O'Hara's intro and to be honest, they didn't really ever stop. The book was beautiful. It was seriously like being able to sit and chat with a friend. It felt so personable and real. As someone who was raised in the church but spent most of their childhood seeing the evil side of selfish people who use Christ and a weapon, one of the only things I had to fall back on was the early, pure, things I watched/learned as a child (Jodi) to remind me what is real. I am always struggling with my faith and making it feel real and personal for me and this was the first Christian book in a while where I did not feel like I was judged for not being at the author's level with my journey.

I highly doubt Jodi will ever read my review but I just wanted to say a HUGE "Thank you!" to Jodi for allowing us to be a Part of Her World and thank you for the role you played in mine. You'll never know how much it meant.

P.S. While most people are replaying Ariel's tracks over and over again, your voice still makes an appearance on our family road trips in the form of the Guidepost Junction theme song and All for One from the show haha

Thank you to Tyndale Publishing and Net Galley for an e-ARC for my honest review

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*Thank you to The Publisher, Jodi Benson and Netgalley for providing me with a E-ARC of "Part of Your World" in exchange for an honest review *

I LOVE Jodi Benson. She is one of my FAVORITE voice actress and it was such a fabulous adventure for me to read more about her.

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Disney's The Little Mermaid came out a few years before I was born. When I was old enough to focus on movies it became my favorite. I would dance and sing around our tiny apartment pretending to be princess Ariel. I even would write my own songs and sing them to anyone that would listen. I couldn't write yet so my mom or mamaw would help me write them down. When I was older and realized Ariel wasn't real, I still loved music and became obsessed with musicals. Jodi Benson has an amazing voice and I have always loved her. Reading "Part of My World" really touched me. I love how she looks back on her life and all the blessings God has given her. My favorite part of the book is actually in the beginning when she was struggling to get the some of the singing correct for the movie. It's hard to believe someone as talented as she is could ever struggle with singing. I especially love how she said she can see God's fingerprints on every part of her life. Not only on the good parts and the doors that He opened for her, but also the bad parts and the doors he closed tight to protect her from things. It's wonderful to see someone use the gifts God gave them in a positive way. If you like Jodi, Disney, musicals, or just seeing how God can change someone's life then I highly recommend this book.

Thank you Netgalley for giving me the chance to read this ARC.

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